Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 10, 1899.djvu/211

 Folklore from the Southern Sporades. 183

exactly that of the old city. Not far from the place is an ancient bridge, known locally as 77 Ka/u,dpa ; and of this bridge the following poem tells. :

T/ie Lay of the Kamara of Antiinachia.

Deep down within the river-bed they founded the Kamara : Each morning they built up the stones, each evening they were

fallen. Then they cast lots, and lo the lot falls to the Master-workman.

(Quoth the Master :) " If I should lay my father there, I get no second father ; If I should lay my brother there, I get no second brother ; If I should lay my mother there, where shall I find another ? If I should lay my sister there, I find no other sister ; If I should sacrifice my wife, a wife again I'll find me." Then by the nightingale he sends a message to the lady. " Go thou and tell my lady fair :

Let her not comb on Saturday, nor Sunday change her raiment, To the Kamara let her come on Monday in the morning." Away he flew, the thrice accurst, that thrice accursed creature, He flew and told his message :

" Comb not thyself on Saturday, nor Sunday change thy raiment, To the Kamara see thou come on Monday, in the morning." She combs her hair on Saturday, on Sunday changes raiment. On Monday, early in the morn, she comes to the Kamara : The Master-workman she beholds, and he was full of sorrow. " What ails thee. Master-workman, say, that thou art full of

sorrow ? " " My seal is fallen and is lost deep down in the Kamara." "O, Master-workman, have no fear, for I will go and find it." " Come, let her down, the lady fair, deep into the Kamara." She dug and still she deeper dug ; a human hand she findeth. '* O Master-workman, take me up; a human hand I've found me." " Bring rubble-stones and mortar bring, to cover up the lady." " O Master-workman, haul me up, for I have loaves a-baking ! " " 'Tis thou hast leavened the loaves, another hand shall bake them : Bring rubble-stones and mortar bring, to cover up the lady." " O Master-workman, haul me up, for I must rear my children ! " " 'Tis thou hast brought them to the birth, another wife shall

rear them.